Materials Experimentation

The PRUSA printers are able to be modified or tweaked to print with a variety of materials. if you are looking to experiment with something outside of the standard plastics, this can be easily achieved.

Workflow

Main Modifications

With Materials Experimentation, you will usually be looking at tinkering with the:

• Nozzle Hardware

• Print Settings

This is because the properties are different per material as a result of how they have been produced, different additives or compositions will naturally have different melting points and extrusion behaviours.

Process

Firstly, identify the properties of the filament, a collection of resources can be found below. These can also be usually be found under the details of the manufacturers. Another good source of knowledge is the maker community on websites and forums, use their experience as a starting point.

To make the modifications:

Hotend & NozzleMaterials ExperimentationSoftware/Slicer Glossary

Test out some small prints and make adjustments as necessary before attempting larger prints.

Common Troubleshooting

Common issues that may arise when experimenting with filaments include:

Filament Jam/ClogWorn NozzleStringing & Oozing Hotend

Materials Library

There are a wide variety of plastics in FDM 3D Printing, each with its own traits. These plastics generally are classified based on their engineering properties such as heat deflection, softening temperature, rigidity and many more. There are many articles online that cover these traits and the links to them are located here.

PLA

PLA is probably the most common 3D printing material due to its ease of printing. It is widely available in a range of colours, very rigid but does not have good temperature resistance (beings to soften around 50-60°C).

PLA is very rigid, has low heat resistance, made from renewable resources and is biodegradable in industrial composting plants.

PLA comes in a wide variety of colours and special fillings. Image from Simplify 3D.

Details about PLA properties and how to print with it can be found here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - Tips for 3D Printing with PLAwww.simplify3d.com

PLA also comes in a variety of filling and additives which can change it's final properties without affecting it's printability and print settings too much. You can read up on them here:

The Best PLA Filament Special TypesAll3DP

Some typical problems with PLA are also covered in our knowledge base here:

Filament Jam/ClogFirst Layer Issues/Prints Not Sticking to Bed

PETG

PETG is another popular printing material. It is what our plastic water bottles are typically made out of and has characteristics of being tough, good transparency and easy to print.

PETG is a tough plastic that bends and yields more before breaking. It is also odourless while printing and can come in transparent variants.

PETG's is commonly used in consumable water bottles. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can find out more about PETG here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - Tips for 3D Printing with PETGwww.simplify3d.com

Some typical problems with PETG are also covered in our knowledge base here:

First Layer Issues/Prints Not Sticking to BedStringing & Oozing Hotend

ABS

Unfortunately ABS cannot be used within the building due to its emissions when melted.

ABS is a very common plastic that's used in a lot of consumer injection molded parts. It is known for having good temperature resistance (up to 100°C), but has the tendency to warp and produce noxious fumes. Unless printed in an enclosure with HEPA filters (modifying the Prusa), it cannot be printed within the building.

ABS has good temperature resistance, can be acetone smoothed and has a good balance of toughness and strength.

ABS is a common plastic used extensively everywhere. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can find out more about ABS here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - Tips for 3D Printing with ABSwww.simplify3d.com

Some typical problems with ABS are also covered in our knowledge base here:

Combating WarpingFirst Layer Issues/Prints Not Sticking to Bed

Flexible Filament/TPU/TPE

Flexible filaments lie in the spectrum of materials that are elastic and can be stretched like rubber. They come in wide range of flexibility and hardness and are graded in terms of Shore 00 hardness scale where the higher the number, the harder the material is. They are extremely useful in many scenarios which require a damping quality, impact absorption or elastic toughness.

TPU/TPE filaments typically print at slow speeds due to the elastic and softer nature of the filament. As such, plan your prints out accordingly.

Model tires are an example of TPU/TPE prints. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can find out more about flexibles/TPU/TPE here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing Flexible Filamentwww.simplify3d.com

Some typical problems with flexibles are also covered in our knowledge base:

Filament Jam/ClogStringing & Oozing Hotend

Nylon

Nylon is another one of the most used plastics around us. For instance, the ubiquitous zip-ties are made out of nylon. It is extremely tough, meaning that it doesn't snap or tear easily under load and still retains some structural strength even when it is deformed under excessive load. It is also very chemically resistant.

Nylon is very tough but not very rigid. It is also fairly chemically resistant and certain varieties of it can be heat resistant. It has a low coefficient of friction which makes it a viable candidate for making gears.

Zipties are made out of nylon as it's extremely durable. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can find out more about nylon here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Nylonwww.simplify3d.com

Some typical problems with Nylon are also covered in our knowledge base:

Combating WarpingFirst Layer Issues/Prints Not Sticking to Bed

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a very strong, engineering grade material. It has very good impact resistance and is used in applications that demand these characteristics such as bulletproof riot shields. It has high temperature resistance (up to 110°C) and is tough as well.

Polycarbonate is very impact resistant and has excellent heat resistance. It is also a tough plastic.

Polycarbonate's toughness and strength makes it ideal for applications with high load. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can find out more about polycarbonate here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Polycarbonatewww.simplify3d.com

Some typical problems with polycarbonate are also covered in our knowledge base:

Combating WarpingFirst Layer Issues/Prints Not Sticking to Bed

Fluorescent Filaments

Fluorescent filaments are as their name describes, are able to emit light through the phenomenon of fluorescence. They are typically added as additives in various plastics such as PLA and PETG to augment these material qualities.

Fluorescent filaments fluoresce (emit light) once they are charged with light energy.

You can read up more on fluorescent filaments here:

Glow in the Dark Filament - A Quick Review & Guide3D Printerly

Use of these filaments require an abrasive resistant nozzle. You can read it up here:

Hotend & NozzleWorn Nozzle

Carbon Fibre & Glass Fibre Filled Filaments

Carbon fibre (CF) and glass fibre (GF) are known as materials that can augment the properties of a composite material. Similarly in 3D printing, these fibres are usually chopped and mixed into a plastic such as PLA, PETG and nylon. They can increase the stiffness, strength and temperature resistance of a plastic.

Carbon fibres and glass fibres are added to filaments as composites and generally improves the tensile strength, heat resistance, and stiffness of nylon when added. They are abrasive.

Carbon and glass filled filaments also tend to have a nice texture. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can read up more about CF and GF filaments here (both are very similar, hence an article about carbon fibre can also be applied to glass fibre:

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Carbon Fiberwww.simplify3d.com

Use of these filaments requires an abrasive resistant nozzle. You can read it up here:

Hotend & NozzleWorn Nozzle

Wood, Metal and Other Filled Filaments

These filled filaments generally augment the aesthetic property and quality of the plastic. The fillings are usually added to the plastic in powder format. However, they tend to be weaker than the base plastic and are slightly harder to print as a result.

Wood filled filaments can be sanded, oiled and stained like regular timber. Metal filled filament can have magnetic properties as well as look and feel of metal materials.

Wood filaments can absorb oils and stains. Image from Simplify 3D.

You can read up more about these filaments here:

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Metal Filamentwww.simplify3d.com

Ultimate Materials Guide - 3D Printing with Wood Filamentwww.simplify3d.com